LOS ANGELES — The USC men’s basketball team clawed back in the second half to pick up its second Pac-12 win of the season on Sunday evening, beating Oregon State 63-62.
Kobe Johnson sank a 3-pointer to tie the game at 53 with under three minutes left in the game, then made a layup with an assist from Drew Peterson for a lead that sent the early-emptying Galen Center into a frenzy. Peterson made a layup off a rebound to extend the lead to 57-53.
Johnson ended the game with 17 points, six rebounds and five steals for USC (6-3 overall, 2-0 in Pac-12). Josh Morgan added 15 points and four rebounds and Peterson had 10 points and six assists.
Valencia High School product Dexter Akanno led Oregon State (4-5, 1-1) with 17 points and six assists.
The game could have belonged to either team early on. In one of the Trojans’ flashier moments, Johnson grabbed a loose ball on a botched OSU pass and went in for a dunk and a 10-9 lead.
Oregon State gained its edge when it got a run going midway through the first half, with Akanno’s hot hand hitting a jumper and two 3-pointers to help take a 26-18 lead with five minutes until the break.
The Beavers made half of their dozen attempted three’s in the first half, while USC made only one out of six. The Trojans were also getting out-rebounded 17-8.
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Tre White made two free throws to open the second half, then Drew Peterson’s 3-pointer and Boogie Ellis’ steal and layup brought USC within five points of tying the game at 37-32.
The Trojans kept the deficit to single digits. Josh Morgan blocked a shot with under five minutes to go in the game then Drew Peterson jumped in for the rebound. Although USC didn’t score, Morgan drew a foul and made both free throws to cut the lead to 51-49.
USC takes a break from conference play with a game against Cal State Fullerton at Galen Center on Wednesday.